Bulletin 033 · recycled pallets

100 percent recycled plastic pallets: read the claim

Last reviewed Nov 12, 20267 stages

The short answer

A 100 percent recycled plastic pallet is moulded entirely from recycled resin. Read the claim: ask what the recycled input was, how pure it was, and what the pallet is rated for.

Eco CP3 is a documented example. Many pallets are blends.

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A pallet is shredded and ground to flake, sorted by resin and colour, and moulded into a pallet again.

The example

Cabka and Renewi say Eco CP3 is made from 100 percent recycled polyethylene, with at least 95 percent polymer purity from Renewi’s Eindhoven sorting plant. It is rated for at least 25 reuse cycles.

The other end of the range

Nelson describes an advanced composite pallet of 100 percent recycled polyolefins. It is cheaper with a shorter life, and suits export where the pallet is not returned.

Colour

Rehrig quotes its highest recycled-content figures in black, so ask what colour the claim applies to.

The documentation test

Ask for the percentage, the source stream, the polymer and the test data. A claim without them is a slogan.

What 100 percent needs behind it

A statement of the source, the type of recycled material, a date and a way to check it. A maker who makes the claim should have these on file.

Why it can be hard

Recycled resin varies, so a part made wholly from it needs a stable supply and good sorting. Some makers blend a small share of additive for colour or stability.

Asking for proof

Ask for the specification sheet, the supplier statement and any third-party test. If the maker will not provide them, the claim is a slogan.

Two fully recycled pallets

Pallet	Recycled	Use
Eco CP3	100% polyethylene, 95%+ purity	Reuse, 25+ cycles
Advanced composite	100% polyolefins	Export, shorter life

What the sources say

rehrigpacific.comRehrig Pacific's heavy-duty nestable can be made with post-consumer or post-industrial recycled material, up to 30 percent in black and up to 10 percent in colour, and is RFID compatible.
nelsoncompany.comThat used pallet is listed as pharma and food safe but not approved for direct food contact, in colours that vary.
iccsafe.orgUL 2335 has an idle pallet test and a commodity storage test.
nelsoncompany.comFor products touching the pallet directly, stricter federal requirements may call for non-blended virgin HDPE; recycled pallets often meet general FDA needs.
iccsafe.orgAn ICC article says unlisted plastic pallets may require raising the commodity hazard class by two classes, and gives an example needing about 55 percent more sprinkler water.
en.wikipedia.orgHDPE has resin identification code 2, a density of 930 to 970 kg/m3, melts at 131.8 C and is hard to glue, so joints are usually welded.
rehrigpacific.comRehrig Pacific offers the standard-duty nestable with recycled content of up to 90 percent in black, and describes it as 100 percent recyclable.
en.wikipedia.orgPlastic pallets can deform (creep) under heavy long-term loads and are hard to repair.
nelsoncompany.comAdvanced composite material pallets are 100 percent recycled polyolefins, cheaper with a shorter life, and suit export where the pallet is not returned.
en.wikipedia.orgMetal pallets are under 1 percent of the pallet market.
en.wikipedia.orgThe 48 x 40 in GMA pallet makes up about 30 percent of new US wood pallets.
rehrigpacific.comRehrig Pacific's rackable pallet has a two-piece snap-lock design for quick repair and options for FDA-approved colours, RFID and up to 15 percent black recycled content.
iccsafe.orgFM 4996 passes a pallet if fire is controlled at 5.9 mm/min (0.15 GPM/ft2) within a 10-minute test of eight 1.2 m stacks.
rehrigpacific.comRehrig Pacific's 40 x 48 heavy-duty nestable pallet is 48.25 x 40.25 x 6.5 in, weighs 28.5 lb, is rated 10,000 lb static and 3,500 lb dynamic, has a 2.55 in nest increment and 1,200 units per 53 ft trailer; the page lists no racking rating.

Terms on this page

HDPE: High-density polyethylene, resin code 2. The most common resin in plastic pallets; tough and moisture resistant.
Reuse cycle: One trip out with a load and back again. Some pallets are rated for a number of them.
Multi-trip pallet: A pallet designed to be returned and reused many times.
Recycled-content pallet: A pallet moulded partly or wholly from post-industrial or post-consumer resin.
Food contact: A material that touches food directly. Recycled content in food-contact use is held to rules a pallet deck usually is not.
Post-consumer: Material recovered after a product has been used, then sorted and reprocessed.
Post-industrial: Scrap from manufacturing and business use, as opposed to material recovered from households.

Questions people ask

Is 100 percent recycled strong enough?

Check the rating for the model.

Is it food safe?

Not by default.

Can I buy it through you?

Ask in the form. We say what we can find.

Does 100 percent recycled mean post-consumer?

Not necessarily. It may be post-industrial. Ask which.

Is 100 percent recycled as strong?

It depends on the design and the test. Compare ratings, not percentages.

Sources, reviewed Nov 12, 2026: Material District, Eco CP3 pallet; Nelson Company, what material is used for plastic pallets.